Copying-press



No. 609,606. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

C. P. BELL. COPYING PRESS.

(A plication filed Apr. 28, .1897

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No. 609,606. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

C. P. BELL- corvma-Pat'ss.

(Applicgxtien filed Apr. 26. 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

THE "cams wzrzns co wo'rourua, WASHINGTON. u, c.

N lTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

COPYING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,606, dated August 23, 1898.

Application filed April 26, 1897.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Staunton, in the county of Augusta and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Copying-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to copying-presses; and it consists, essentially, of novel means for applying pressure thereto to produce the desired impression usually made by such devices.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a copying-press which will require very little manual exertion to operate the same and wherein the parts are simple and effective in their construction, strong and durable, and comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture.

In copying-presses as heretofore used it has been necessary to employ considerable force in causing a pressure-plate to forcibly impact against a book or other object engaged there by. In the present device the leverage is'such that a great power can be brought to bear on the pressure-plate by a minimum amount of force applied and requiring also but a slight power to release the pressure-plate.

The foregoing objects and advantages are attained by the features shown in the ac companying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a letterpress embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the lineww of Fig. 1, on a slightlyenlarged scale, showing a part of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a' view similar to Fig. 1 embodying a modification in the construction and arrangement of the several parts. Fig.

4 is an end elevation ofa still further modification, parts being'shown in'dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of a part of the device shown byFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a similar view of a part of the mechanism shown by Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar Serial Ila 633,850. (No model.)

numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates a base of ordinary or preferred form of construction, having suitably mounted thereover a pressure-plate 2, engaging the opposite portions of a supporting arch or brace 3, which is a common form of construction in this class of devices. Above the arch or brace 3 and extending vertically from the central portion thereof is a hollow upright 4, provided with slots 5 in the opposite sides, which are arranged in alinemerit, and thereon is situated a cap 6, consisting of a depending sleeve 7 and a head 8. This cap is more clearly shown in Fig. 2 and is provided on opposite sides of the head with recesses 9, and the sleeve has located therein and resting against the said head a wearplate or washer 10. Through the said head and sleeve and into the hollow upright 4 extends ascrew-threaded stem 11, having an operating handle or crank 12 attached to the upper end thereof, which rotatably rests against the upper surface of the cap 8. The sleeve 7 is movable on the upper end of the upright 4, and the screw-stem 11 depends into the said upright and engages the upper part of the same to cause an adjustment of the said cap when the handle or crank 12 is operated either to raise or lower said cap, for a purpose which will be more fully hereinafter stated. I

" Inthe recesses 9 are pivotally secured the upper ends'of oppositely-disposed levers 13,

and at their lower ends the said levers are pivotally mounted in bifurcated lugs 14, extending from opposite sides of sleeves 15, the

latter being movable on a transversely-extending screw 16. To the lower lugs 14 on the sleeve 15 there are levers 17 movably attached at their upper ends and which have their lower ends pivotally connected to the opposite portions of the pressure-plate 2 at the central point thereof. The screw-stem 16 passes through the slots 5 in the upright 4 and also through collars 18, bearing against the-said upright on opposite sides of the said slots therein. The said screw-stem 16 is threaded in 'op'po'sitedirections, so that when it is revolved in either one direction or the other the sleeves 15 will move inwardly or outwardly to and from the said upright 4.

On one end of the said screw-stem 16 an operating-crank 19 is placed and act-uates the sleeves 15, and consequently the levers 13 and 17 jointly form toggle-levers on opposite sides of the upright l. The pressure-plate 2 is initially adjusted to accommodate the thickness of a book or other device placed. thereunder on the base-rest 1, and to apply the copying pressure to the said pressure-plate the crank 19 is operated to turn the screw-stem 16 and move the sleeves 15 inwardly toward the upright 4. Thus it will be seen that a great force is applied to the pressure-plate 2 in a simple manner and without any exertion and can be likewise released or withdrawn. In this operation the levers 13 act together or move into straight alinement when exerting their pressure 011 the pressure-plate 2.

In Fig. 3 a construction similar to Fig. 1 is shown, except that the number of toggle-levers is increased to four, and they are attached directly to each other, as at 20, the metal beingcut away in the rear and rounded at the joints to permit a free movement of the said toggle-levers, as will be readily understood. In this instance a pair of sleeves 21 are trunnioned on the lowermost levers of each pair of toggle-levers and secured in position by suitable nuts 22. Through the center of the said sleeves 21 extend transverselypositioned screw-threaded collars 22,engaged by a screw-stem similar to that designated by the numeral 16 in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the construction as shown by Fig. 1 is very much more simple than that shown by Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4 a still further modification of the construction and arrangement of the several parts is shown, and therein the cap, togglelevers, pressure-plate, and supporting arch or brace, together with the screw-stem in the main, are arranged and constructed similarly to the parts heretofore set forth. The togglelevers in this instance, however, are reduced in number, and the hollow upright extending from the supporting brace or arch is similarly slotted. Within the said hollow upright an operating-disk 23 is mounted and held in position by a pivot-pin 24. Eccentric pins2 5 are also carried by the said disk 23, automatically arranged on opposite sides of the pivotpins 24: and having the inner ends of opposite links 26 attached thereto, whose outer ends are movably secured to ears 27 at the upper portion of the lower section of the toggle-levers. The said disk 23 is supplied with an operating handle or lever 28, and extending over a portion of. the edge of the said disk are ratchet-teeth 29, engaged by a dog 30, carried in the depending part 31 of the screwstem and having an exteriorlyprojecting operating knob or button 32. The pin 24.- also passes through openings 33 in the lower portion of the depending part 31 of the screwstem, all of which is clearly shown by Figs. 5 and 6. The operation of this form of the device is similar to that heretofore described,

and it will be seen when the lever 2 8is raised the links 26 are moved outwardly from the slots in the hollow upright, and thereby throw the joints of the toggle-levers outward therewith and release the pressure from the pressure-plate. In this operation of course the head or button 32 is operated to release the dog 30 from the ratchet-teeth 29, and when pressure is applied the said lever 28 is brought down, drawing the toggle levers inward through the medium of the links, locking the said lever in its adjusted position by having the dog 30 engaging the said teeth 29 in the disk 23. When the lever 28 is raised, the dog 30, which is of compound construction and having two engaging noses, is reversed from its holding position to cause a retention of the lever 28, and the opposite nose thereof engages the teeth to sustain the said lever in elevated position, and thereby hold the several parts in convenient adjustment for operation.

In either of the forms described a sensitive action will be had without unnecessary exertion or manipulation of complex parts or the inconvenience and expense of time and labor usually employed in operating the ordinary copying-press.

It will be understood that the several parts of the device, as set forth hereinbefore, may be properly ornamented and embellished with designs, and, further, it is obviously apparent that many minor changes in the details of construction might be made or substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Havingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a letter-press, the combination with a base, pressure-plate and arch, of togglelevers pivotally connected to said pressureplate, a transversely-slotted upright extending above the arch, a means adj ustably mounted on the upper end of the upright and to which the upper ends of the said toggle-levers are movably attached, and vertically-movable means for operating the said toggle levers extending through and outwardly from opposite sides of said upright, substantially as described.

2. In a copying-press, the combination with a base, pressure-plate and an arch thereover, of an upright extending above the said arch and having a transverse slot therein, an adjustable cap on the upright, toggle-levers connected to said cap and pressure-plate, and a transverselyextending vertically movable screw-stem passing through said slot in the upright and connected to said toggle-levers, substantially as described.

3. In a copying-press, the combination with a base, pressure-plate and an arch thereover, of an upright extending above the arch and having a transverse slot therein, a cap adjustably mounted on the said upright, togglelevers pivoted to said cap and to the said pressure-plate, intermediate sleeves carried by the toggledevers, a vertically-movable screw-stem extendin g through the said sleeves and the slot in the upright and provided with right and left screw-threads on opposite ends, and collars on the screw-stem on opposite sides of the upright, substantially as described.

4. In a copying-press, the combination of a base having an arch rising therefrom, a pressure-plate mounted thereover, an upright extending through and above the arch and having slots in the opposite sides thereof, a cap movably mounted on said upright and having a screw-stem for turning therethrough With an operating crank or handle connected to the upper end thereof, toggle-levers attached to the opposite sides of the upper part of the cap and at their lower ends to the pres- CHARLES P. BELL.

lVitnesses:

WATSON P. GoooH, D. P. TITUS. 

